> “The pistol is still on the official list of kit contents,” she recalled him saying. “But before every mission we meet to review that list and vote to remove

> “The pistol is still on the official list of kit contents,” she recalled him saying. “But before every mission we meet to review that list and vote to remove it for this specific flight.” > The reasons for this remain obscure. Her crewmate, Terry Virts, told me he suspected it was connected with the transfer of the cosmonaut training center from military to civilian jurisdiction. And there is growing pressure in Russia to return the center to military control.